Mohammed Mohammed 24

Description

A "dangerous" sexual predator who molested a woman in a female pub toilet while hunting for "intoxicated" victims has been jailed for nearly six years.

Mohammed Mohammed, 24, a Sudanese refugee living in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, harassed multiple women in a Darlington pub before following one into a cubicle in July 2024, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Pretending to be a bouncer, he pushed her against the wall, undid his belt and groped her under her dress. The victim repeatedly said no but the attack only ended when her friend intervened. Mohammed later claimed he had gone in to "help" after hearing screams.

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe said Mohammed's behaviour was "sustained" and "predatory," involving the "targeting of intoxicated females." He had blocked women's paths, attempted to kiss one and touched another's hair.

The victim said the assault had a "big impact" and "made me a different person." She can no longer go to the toilet alone in public, avoids men and has changed the way she dresses.

Mohammed initially admitted the offence but tried to vacate his guilty plea, causing a year of delay and additional "distress" for the victim.

In mitigation, Sophie Johnstone said he had fled Sudan after his home was attacked, with his mother now in a refugee camp.

Judge Jonathan Carroll accepted his refugee status but noted he had been found "dishonest." The judge said Mohammed was "determined to find a woman" and used a "combination of trickery and force."

"Such conduct drives a dagger into the sense of safety both of [the victim] and of all women who want to do something as innocent as simply enjoying a night out with friends," he said.

The judge described Mohammed as a "dangerous offender" posing a "high risk of serious harm" to others.

He was jailed for five years, 11 months and two weeks, with a further three years on extended licence.